Volvo Olympian Farewell Day
Shayne Howarth took these photographs on 28 August 2010
123 16460 and a new Scania at Stonegravels prior to the evening tour
16460 at Eyam on the evening tour.
16459 in service during the afternoon on New Beetwell Street
For video on Focus Transport website
CLICK
Shayne Howarth added to website 4 September 2010
Lathalmond visit
Neville Whitmore writes: (22 August 2010):
Eleven members and friends of Transpire and the Chesterfield 123 Preservation Group made the journey to Scotland for the annual open weekend at
the Scottish vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond near Dunfermline. Our transport was our Ex Strathtay Alexander bodied Leyland Tiger 438 (D278 FAS)
which never faultered on either the outward or return journey, except when the driver at the time found a button in the cab that he had not seen
before and decided to press it to see what happened, we lost all the gears and came to a standstill, but luckily the problem was soon rectified
and we were on our way again! After booking into the Dunfermline Travelodge and meeting two more members who had travelled to Scotland on
Wednesday (but were coming back with us), we travelled by service bus into Dunfermline and then on to Kirkaldy for a meal. The buses we
used for this were certainly well loaded and were smart and clean.
Saturday morning saw the party having breakfast at Dobbies Garden World in Dunfermline before setting off the few miles to Lathalmond. For
anyone who has not been before it is well worth a visit as it must be the biggest bus museum in the world (unless you know different) with a
vast array of buses on display (and not just Scottish ones, although they are in the majority). Of particular interest to our party was an Ex
Malta bus, I stand to be corrected but I understand it was a Ford (Fordson?) Thames with a body built in Malta (by Barbara?). It now seemed
to be licenced in this country as 522 XUT, but at some time on Malta carried the reg. DBY 001 amongst others. Most of our party sat in the
drivers seat and noticed the very cramped space it offered.
Some of us then left early on Saturday afternoon, on the free bus to Dunfermline,
in order to visit Edinburgh, travelling from Dunfermline on one of the tri axle Scanias of Stagecoach in Fife over the Forth Bridge. Others
in the party took advantage of an open top tour over the Forth Bridge although this was so popular that a closed top vehicle acted as duplicate!
I am pleased to say that unlike last year, Princes Street is now fully open again (it had been closed due to tram works) and we were able to
board and inspect a new tram which should be in service by 2012. Later on we met other people from our party and some of us rode round a bit
on Lothian buses, surely one of the smartest fleets in the country. My initial reaction to the "halequin" livery was that I did not take to
it, but over the years it grows on you and now it is being replaced by a style based on the old madder and white livery, I feel a bit sorry,
but the latest livery looks the part. There is certainly no comparison between any of the Lothian liveries and that of First, why oh why do
they persist with that insipid livery reminiscent of the closing years of the twentieth century? It is not so much the colours (after all
their trains look quite attractive) but the way they are applied!
We returned to Dunfermline the way we had arrived, on a Scania Triaxle of Stagecoach in Fife, some of us boarding at the bus station (St.
Andrews Square) which seems to handle the longer distance bus services together with the Scottish Citylink coaches, whilst some boarded at an on
street stop close to where they had been eating and drinking. By the time it had left Edinburgh it had a capacity load with about thirty people
standing (although no one was left behind), not bad for a 21.25 departure although by this time it was running about fifteen minutes late.
Another stop was made close to the Forth Bridge when a passenger was ill and had to alight but the driver waited for them until they had
recovered and were able to reboard, credit is due to him for doing so! We arrived in Dunfermline in plenty of time to catch the bus back
to the Travelodge.
The "breakfast at Dobbies" was repeated on Sunday morning before heading back to Lathalmond for another look round and opportunity was taken
to sample more of the free buses operating on the service to Dunfermline including a very spirited ride on a Cummins engined MCW Metrobus with
an Alexander body. The Tiger left Lathalmond at 3 o'clock, picking up the remnants of the party in Dunfermline before heading south and the
road back home. Everyone agreed that they had had a good weekend!
Neville Whitmore
This article was held back awaiting photographs which have yet to be received.
There are photographs of the running day held at Lathalmond earlier in the year on
the Focus Transport website
HERE
Neville Whitmore added to website 31 August 2010
'My Life' by George Holmes
Members may be interested to know that the founder of G & J Holmes Coaches Mr George Holmes has now had his autobiography entitled
'My Life' by George Holmes published by Derbyshire County Council Cultural & Community Services Department as a 49 page A4 size softback
and actually written back in 2002. It went to press in early August and is a very interesting read not just for G & J Holmes followers
but also for anyone with an interest in the town of Clay Cross not forgetting of course a great insight into the past history of George
Holmes himself. Copies can be ordered via myself price TBA.
More information
HERE
Andrew Bagshaw added to website 17 August 2010
National Express Elite Chesterfield challenge!
Oliver Foreman was sent through Stagecoach East Midlands Yahoo Group this photograph of the new Volvo
National Express coach in Lincoln (though I am told by Colin Sellers it is allocated to Peterborough), possibly on its first day of working,
Friday 13 August 2010
HERE.
This model is due to be delivered to Stagecoach in Chesterfield soon. Who will send in the first website photograph????
Oliver Foreman added to website 17 August 2010
Summertime in Chesterfield
Tony Wilson took this mid-summer shot at the Terminus Publications stall in Chesterfield Market on 12 August 2010.
TRANSPIRE members Roger Kaye and Arthur Harrington (how does that cigarette keep alight?) strive to keep the goods dry!
When the sun shines, the stall is well worth a visit. Open every Thursday (though closed 26 August 2010) in Chesterfield market near
the pump.
Vist the website of Terminus Publications
HERE.
To see Roger's photographs around Exmoor (the subject of his next video) on the Focus Transport website
CLICK.
Meanwhile . . .
Words Oliver Foreman; photographs Tony Wilson (market stall) & Colin Sellers (buses) added to website 13 August 2010
123 Group photograph
Shayne Howarth writes (31 July 2010):
I have sent a group shot of some 123 members on board the shuttle bus at the Peterborough rally
Shayne Howarth added to website 1 August 2010
123 Group acquire another bus
134 at Stagecoach Chesterfield Stonegravels depot having been moved from New Street.
The vehicle has been acquired by the Chesterfield
123 Preservation Group (see details below).
Photograph Shayne Howarth 31 July 2010
Neville Whitmore reports (30 July 2010):
The Chesterfield 123 Preservation Group have purchased the Ex Bournemouth convertible open top Daimler Fleetline NFX 134P which has been a
familiar sight in Chesterfield for several years. It has been used as an outreach bus, serving soup and sandwiches etc. to homeless and
other people at various locations in and around Chesterfield and was painted in a green and cream livery akin to that once used by
Chesterfield Corporation. It was manned by volunteers from various churches in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire, the actual
owner being a member of the Church Army based at St. Thomas Church, Brampton. Last year it was replaced by the Dennis Condor (G77 OKY)
and has been out of use for almost a year, so the good work performed by NFX 134P and its volunteers continues! After a thorough
inspection and road test by members of the 123 Preservation group it was decided to go ahead with the purchase. The long term plan
is that it will be used as a source of spares for the group's other vehicles but in the short term it is to be stored at the Midland
Railway Centre at Butterley. It is in a fairly good condition and for the moment will be kept intact. It is an interesting vehicle,
for as well as being a convertible open topper (and how many of those can you find which still have their roof?), it has a flat floor
with just a one step entrance (as modern low floor buses) as specified by Bournemouth supposedly because Bournemouth had a rather
elderly population who did not like steps.
Amendment to above (2 August 2010): The vehicle was collected from the CSG yard at Chesterfield on Saturday 31st July, but after the
discovery of a leaky radiator it was thought prudent to move the bus a lesser distance and was taken to the former TM Travel yard at Staveley
instead of Butterley, where further assessment is to take place within the next few days.
ABOVE: NFX 134P in summer 2010; BELOW: in former days. Photographs Andrew Bagshaw
G77 OKY is the bus that has replaced NFX 134P on the 'soup run'. Photograph Martin Arrand
Neville Whitmore added to website 31 July 2010
Shayne Howarth photograph added 1 August 2010
Neville Whitmore amendment added 3 August 2010